Distance between Mackay and Cairns
The distance from Mackay to Cairns is 743 kilometers by road including 23 kilometers on motorways. Road takes approximately 8 hours and 32 minutes and goes through Paget, Te Kowai, Marian, Pleystowe, Walkerston, Hampden and Buthurra.
Shortest distance by air | 591 km ✈️ |
Car route length | 743 km 🚗 |
Driving time | 8 h 32 min |
Fuel amount | 59.4 L |
Fuel cost | 111.8 AUD |

Point | Distance | Time | Fuel | |
Mackay | 0 km | 00 min | 0.0 L | |
A1 4 km, 03 min
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Paget | 4 km | 03 min | 0.2 L | |
A1 70 5 km, 04 min
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Te Kowai | 9 km | 07 min | 0.6 L | |
70 12 km, 08 min
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Marian | 21 km | 15 min | 0.9 L | |
64 17 km, 11 min
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Hampden | 38 km | 27 min | 2.7 L | |
A1 12 km, 07 min
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Buthurra | 49 km | 34 min | 3.5 L | |
A1 12 km, 07 min
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Kolijo | 61 km | 42 min | 4.7 L | |
A1 20 km, 13 min
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Pindi Pindi | 81 km | 56 min | 5.1 L | |
A1 34 km, 22 min
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Lethebrook | 114 km | 1 h 18 min | 9.0 L | |
A1 629 km, 7 h 13 min
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Cairns | 743 km | 8 h 32 min | 59.3 L |
Hotels of Cairns
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to drive from Mackay to Cairns?
Fuel cost: 111.8 AUD
This fuel cost is calculated as: (Route length 743 km / 100 km) * (Fuel consumption 8 L/100 km) * (Fuel price 1.88 AUD / L)
You can adjust fuel consumption and fuel price here.
How long is a car ride from Mackay to Cairns?
Driving time: 8 h 32 min
This time is calculated for driving at the maximum permitted speed, taking into account traffic rules restrictions.
- 20 km with a maximum speed 100 km/h = 11 min
- 573 km with a maximum speed 90 km/h = 6 h 21 min
- 124 km with a maximum speed 80 km/h = 1 h 33 min
- 8 km with a maximum speed 70 km/h = 7 min
- 18 km with a maximum speed 60 km/h = 17 min
The calculated driving time does not take into account intermediate stops and traffic jams.
How far is Mackay to Cairns by land?
The distance between Mackay and Cairns is 743 km by road including 23 km on motorways.
Precise satellite coordinates of highways were used for this calculation. The start and finish points are the centers of Mackay and Cairns respectively.
How far is Mackay to Cairns by plane?
The shortest distance (air line, as the crow flies) between Mackay and Cairns is 591 km.
This distance is calculated using the Haversine formula as a great-circle distance between two points on the surface of a sphere. The start and finish points are the centers of Mackay and Cairns respectively. Actual distance between airports may be different.
How many hours is Mackay from Cairns by plane?
Boeing 737 airliner needs 44 min to cover the distance of 591 km at a cruising speed of 800 km/h.
Small plane "Cessna 172" needs 2 h 41 min to flight this distance at average speed of 220 km/h.
This time is approximate and do not take into account takeoff and landing times, airport location and other real world factors.
How long is a helicopter ride from Mackay to Cairns?
Fast helicopter "Eurocopter AS350" or "Hughes OH-6 Cayuse" need 2 h 27 min to cover the distance of 591 km at a cruising speed of 240 km/h.
Popular "Robinson R44" needs 2 h 48 min to flight this distance at average speed of 210 km/h.
This time is approximate and do not take into account takeoff and landing times, aerodrome location and other real world factors.
What city is halfway between Mackay and Cairns?
The halfway point between Mackay and Cairns is Stuart. It is located about 13 km from the exact midpoint by road.
The distance from Stuart to Mackay is 384 km and driving will take about 4 h 24 min. The road between Stuart and Cairns has length 359 km and will take approximately 4 h 7 min.
The other cities located close to halfway point:
Where is Mackay in relation to Cairns?
Mackay is located 591 km south-east of Cairns.
Mackay has geographic coordinates: latitude -21.14196, longitude 149.18651.
Cairns has geographic coordinates: latitude -16.9205, longitude 145.77189.
Which highway goes from Mackay to Cairns?
The route from Mackay to Cairns follows A1.
Other minor sections pass along the road:
- 64: 14 km
- 70: 6 km